Computer programming can be a complex task, especially for those who might use particular types of electronic equipment but are not intimately familiar with effective programming practices. For example, an operator of a video production terminal in a video production system might need to write computer programs such as scripts to test or control equipment from time to time, but might not be well versed in computer programming.
Visual scripting refers to a graphical approach to computer programming, in which a user is able to build a computer program using visual blocks and connectors instead of text statements. Program code can then be automatically generated from the blocks and connectors. In the reverse direction, converting program code into a visual representation might be useful in aiding a less skilled or less experienced user in understanding how the program code operates. A conversion from visual to text or from text to visual is usually done only once, and the user does not necessarily even see the result of a visual to text conversion.